Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Holy Virgin Cathedral

Holy Virgin, Joy of All Who Sorrow, Russian Orthodox Cathedral, San Francisco, CA., site of the Lenten Pastoral Conference.

Saints of the Day:

March 5 / 18. Martyr Conon of Isauria. Martyr Conon the Gardener of Pamphylia. Virgin Martyr Irais (Rhais) of Antinoe in Egypt. Martyr Eulogius of Palestine. Martyr Eulampius of Palestine. Martyr Onisius of Isauria. St. Hesychius the Faster of Bithynia. St. Mark the Faster of Egypt. Translation of the Relics of St. Theodore, prince of Smolensk and Yaroslav, and his children Saints David and Constantine. Martyr Archelaus and 152 Martyrs in Egypt. St. Adrian, monk of Poshekhonye and his fellow-ascetic, St.Leonidas. New-Martyr John the Bulgarian (Mt. Athos) at Constantinople.

Thought for the Day:

"The more days of fasting there are, the better the healing is; the longer the period of abstinence, the more abundant the gain of salvation is."

Blessed Augustine

Scripture Readings for the Day:

Isaiah 10:12-20

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks." 13 For he says:

" By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep." 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them.

The Returning Remnant of Israel

20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Genesis 7:6-9

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.7 So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.

Proverbs 9:12-18

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone."

The Way of Folly

13 A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. 14 For she sits at the door of her house, On a seat by the highest places of the city, 15 To call to those who pass by, Who go straight on their way: 16 " Whoever is simple, let him turn in here"; And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, 17 " Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." 18 But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.